Darjeeling Express

Trailblazing Asma Khan has shattered culinary stereotypes, spotlighting the achievements of her all-female, immigrant-led kitchen. Darjeeling Express is run solely by women, who bring extraordinary life experience but no formal culinary training. Together, they’ve turned the operation from a humble supper club in Asma’s home to an internationally renowned destination that recreates dishes that blend Asma’s Mughlai heritage with her West Bengali upbringing. Dishes like tamatar gosht, prawn malaikari, and Calcutta lamb dum biryani, are presented in platters or thalis that evoke the warmth of a traditional Indian daawat, or special feast. The space is decorated like an Indian train station waiting room, with terracotta pots, ceiling fans, and greenery, symbolising the journeys of the South Asian diaspora.